Perhaps the deal with Hayabusa and the flag is similar like with swastika in the east. Nazis turned it around. Perhaps this flag has wrong number of rays, wrong colour,... and is therefore just vaguely similar but all different?
But I tottaly understand the fuss. If I'd live in an enviroment occupied by Japanese I would react the same as I do against ex-german symbols. I don't mind the eastern swastica tho' and wouldn't mind Hayabusa if that's the deal.

If I'd live in an enviroment occupied by Japanese I would react the same as I do against ex-german symbols. I don't mind the eastern swastica tho' and wouldn't mind Hayabusa if that's the deal.

I have a Bundeswehr shirt that I regularly wear. It is a symbol of the modern German Army. I trained with a partnership unit in Mainz and found them to be a great bunch of fellows. Is this considered offensive?

Sorry, I meant ex - Nazi symbols like swastica and ss runes, I -and the rest normal bunch of the people- have no issues with modern german army and symbols, everyone likes to use eagles.

I would never wear anything that the world considers a symbol of oppression or racism (swastika, cross-wheel, etc.). The original post is way off base, and the poster is just wrong by insisting that the members agree that GSP isn't politically correct because he is wearing / advertising the gi.

Some people wear things to make a statement, some because they think it looks cool, and some out of ignorance. At any rate, it is ultimately their personal choice and right.

That gi is ugly as **** anyway and I wouldn't buy / wear one if all I had to wear was a towel.

Hitler turned it around - to the right. That's the swastica that creates a fuss and is a common symbol of oppression, dictatorship, torture and suffering around the world and wearing it or the all known Schutzstaffel runes is at least distasteful. Again, Nazi swastica is different than eastern swastica.
However the Eisenkreuz and Bundeswehr symbols are mostly ok with people and me, unless used with upper combination.

GSP and his "Rising Sun" Gi

Originally Posted by goodlun

Given that I don't speak Japanese that video does me no good what so ever.

Go ahead and youtube the term Neo-Nazi,
You will see ARMED people that have training camps.
actively still terrorize everyone that is not a WASP, that still speak in extremely hateful rhetoric, and still honestly believe that anyone that isn't a WASP is actually subhuman.
Oh and the world wide population of Neo-Nazi's significantly outnumber the amount of Uyoku dantai in Japan.

When the Japanese military stops using the rising sun flag actively then maybe you can make some claim but as it stands someone who buys this Gi may simply be showing there support for the Japanese Military and not its imperial roots.